Hydraulic turbine



Jan. 27, 1925.

R. S. HYATT HYDRAULIC TURBINE Filed Feb. 8,

Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,524,436 PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH s. HYATT, OF VALENTINE, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO CHARLES H. CORNELL, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

HYDRAULIC TURBINE.

Application filed February 8, 1924. Serial No. 691,485.

T0 at! w ham it may concern.

Be it known that I, RALPH S. I'IYATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valentine, inthe county of Cherry and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Turbines, of which the following is a speci lication.

This invention relates to means for preventing the formation and adherence of ice to the metal parts of a device subjected to such formation and adherence and more especially to the met-a1 parts of a device operating under water, such, for example, as a hydraulic turbine.

A common drawback in the operation of water power plants is the existence at occasional intervals of frazil or needle ice in the water passing through the turbines, which adheres to the metal parts, clogs up the turbine runner and water passageways, and not infrequently causes a shutdown of the unit until the accumulation is removed.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a. device in combination with a hydraulic turbine which will prevent the adherence of ice to the metal parts thereof which are submerged in water during the operation of the turbine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which will cause an increase in the temperature of such parts suflicient to prevent clogging thereof due to the adherence of ice to such parts, and which will operate efficiently under water when the turbine is in use.

A further object is to provide such a device that will induce electric currents in the metal parts of a hydraulic turbine, the heating effect of which will prevent the formation of ice on such parts.

Still further objects will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, but are not to be construed as a definition of the limits thereof, reference being had to the accompanying claims for that purpose.

The present invention is an improvement on my Patent #1375389, dated Nov. 27, 1923.

In said drawings in which like reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a hydraulic turbine showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 with part of the top cover plate removed.

Referring more particularly to said drawings, Fig. 1 shows a common form of hydraulic turbine, consisting essentially of the hub 1 and crown 2 of the turbine wheel, said hub and crown being formed in one piece and being keyed or otherwise suitably secured to the shaft 3.

Secured to said hub and crown, and extending downwardly therefrom are the buckets a, which receive the water inward, and discharge it downward, outward and in ward, with the general purpose of distributing it over the cross section of the turbine tube. V

The wicket gates 5 control the admission of water to the-buckets 4 and are opened and closed by any convenient operating means, not shown, as it forms no part of the present invention, but which, for ex ample, may be a ring disposed in a horizontal plane above said gates and connected thereto by arms, the opening and closing of said gates being effected by the partial rotation of said ring.

The above described hydraulic turbine is illustrated by way of example, to show the application of the present invention thereto, but it is to be understood that the invention may be applied as well to other forms of hydraulic turbines, and with equally good results.

Referring now more particularly to the ice preventing means, this comprises, in combination with the metal parts of the turbine, and especially those parts operating under water, a heavy turn 21 of appropriate metal, such, for example. as copper, conveniently disposed immediately beneath and secured to the stationary top cover plate 8. The copper turn 21 may conveniently be concentric with said cover plate, and have a diameter slightly larger than the crown 2 of the turbine wheel, the crown, if desired, fitting within the coil or turn 21, as illustrated in Fig. 1. It is, of course, desirable that the coil or turn 21 be arranged so it will not interfere with the maximum opening of the wicket gates 5.

The coil or turn 21 is shown as forming almost a. complete circle, but having its adjacent ends .22 extending upwardly through the stationary top cover plate 8,

and leading to a transformer 23 of convenient construction, by means of which the coil or turn 21 issupplied With a low voltage alternating current. This low'voltage alternating current for the coil 'or turn 21 is induced from any convenient source of electric energy, not shown, connected in the source of electric energy with alow voltage alternating current.

The current flowing through the turn 21, and the auxiliary coils 7 if used,-sets up induced currents in themetal: parts of the turbine, the heating effect of which prevents the formation of frazil or needle ice on the, operating and. other parts of the turbine, and effectually prevents the accumulation of ice therein, thereby eliminating the necessity of dismantling the i turbine and keepingqit out of; operationwfor the scraping oft-and removal of ice which would otherwise form on and accumulate in the turbine, lowering its 'etlici(mty -andnot infrequently putting it out of operation.

What is claimed is: 1. In a: hydraulic turbinea turbine wheel,

Wicket" gates for controlling the admission otwater. to said turbine Wheel, a conductor carrying an alternating electric current and arranged in proximity to said turbine Wheel and comprising a single turn of heavy copper, uninsulated, except from the metal parts, of the turbine, and "having its ends leading to a transformer, anda high volt? age alternating current electric circuit-connected- 'to said transformer,- said conductor setting up induced currents: in V the parts of said turbine-whereby said parts :arehea-ted.

2.1 Means for preventing the formation and adherence Of; icezto themetal patts of a machine, comprising-a conductor-carrying an alternating electric current and setting up induced currents in-said-metalparts whereby their temperature is increased,-'

said conductor including a single heavy turn of solid copper, unin-sulated except from said Inetalparts, and a transformer in said conductor circuit :for supplying: said conductor circuit with a low; voltage alternating electric; current. I

In testimony Whereoflaflixmy'signatnre.

RALPH s; YATT. 

